To be fair, oysters pair quite well with a number of alcoholic beverages. Champagne, riesling, stout. However, this was a dinner fit for a birthday boy, and given that the birthday boy wanted some nice Cajun food, we went for a nice Cajun beer with his appetizer.

Dixie beer has long been my favorite of beers. It’s one of those I’ve always had to search out, as only liquor stores with a large selection seem to carry the beer outside of New Orleans. During Katrina the brewery was damaged, and for a couple of years thereafter, there was no Dixie to be had. They eventually got up and running again, but not utilizing the original brewery. I’ll take what I can get after a two year dry spell, and it still holds the spot as my favorite beer, even if it comes from a different location.

For the oysters – well, we’re not on the Gulf here, so we went with a Pacific variety, Kumamoto oysters. They’re one of our favorites, with a briny, salty flavor that tastes as if they’ve just been plucked from the sea. Add a bit of horseradish and cocktail sauce, and you’re good to go!

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Appetizers, Drink Time by Courtney

I’ve waxed poetic about Limerick Lane’s wines many a time on this blog already, but they really just put out such wonderful wines. This bottle of furmint is no exception, though I was a little puzzled as to what I should do with it once I received it. Such an odd sounding wine — “fur… mint” I kept saying to myself. It came in a small bottle, so it must be sweet, I thought. So I decided to do a little investigation before opening.

I consulted my What to Drink book first, which has a handy reverse lookup (basically, what to eat). (more…)

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Appetizers, Dessert, Drink Time, Wine pairings by Courtney

One of my favorite weekend or weeknight activities is to plop down in front of the TV, find a classic movie on Netflix, and give myself a pedicure. Most of the time I do this with a bottle of rose or bubbly, but today I was feeling… healthy (must’ve been that whole wheat zucchini bread I made, never mind the 4 cups of sugar in it). So I decided to make a batch of flavored water.

This is great not only for spa days, but also for afternoon get-togethers when you need to beat the heat. (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Gluten free, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

This salad is great for a light dinner. The smoked duck seems filling, but it’s a salad with a with a with a vinaigrette, so it seems light at the same time. My recipe was born from trying to figure out what I should do with the smoked duck breast I bought from Fabrique Delices. Their booth at the Campbell Farmer’s Market is always full of yummy meats, such as merguez sausages, various types of duck, and pates. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Drink Time, Gluten free, Gourmet, Quick and Easy, Wine pairings by Courtney

Some people like a BLT. I’ve never been much on lettuce or tomatoes on my sandwich, so I’ve always made a BMT – bacon, mayonnaise, and toast. After years of making this sandwich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I think I’ve hit upon the perfect ingredients for the perfect sandwich.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon Trader Joe’s organic mayonnaise. There’s something about this mayo – it just tastes so much better than the Hellman’s and such that you usually pick up at the grocery store (and we’re talking quick and easy meal here, so no making my mayo from scratch). Slather this on sandwich bread that has been toasted for a little wetness to all the dry. The bacon? (more…)

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Breakfast, Dairy free, Dinner, Drink Time, Lunch, Southern by Courtney